Eco-Aware
As an artist and designer at Duma, before being offered an actual position, I was initially hired to create a collection of toys that could educate and raise awareness on an important topic. I chose to first tackle the environment as I believe it is a topic that is finally becoming more and more discussed and taken better care of. I researched a number of animals who were mostly affected by environmental issues including the causes of their suffering, and how the human species is unfortunately responsible for a lot of it. The aim of this collection was to create something children can relate to, understand, and sympathise with. It is to raise a better next generation of more caring and conscious individuals.
The idea was presented to the team at Dum before I narrowed down my research to five animals: the polar bear, cheetah, koala, sea turtle, and ringed seal. I designed the toys in coordination with the Sample Production team, so after creating the illustrations, I chose the thread colors and followed up with the sample making stages, constantly encouraging them to stay away from any materials that aren’t environmentally friendly as much as possible. I also wanted this project to not only raise awareness, but provide actionable tasks our younger audience can do to actually make a difference and feel empowered to make a change, so I created a document which was to be visually enhanced by the graphic designer and then added as a small front-and- back print out to go out with every order. One side was to be the general information page, the other was to have a single introduction from the animal. These cards were going to be designed to match the style of the collection and the brand’s overall aesthetic, however, they never went through with them as planned.
After some time, a few samples, and a number of adjustments, the collection was complete, and along the way I was promoted to Art Director, so I played a larger role in post production. I wanted the photos to be taken with the same handmade feel of the products, so I designed and made their sets using the same materials the toys were made from. I attended the photoshoot and worked closely with the Photographer both during and after the photoshoot.
I also coordinated with the Graphic Designer who created the digital work above. I created a mood board with the colors and the ideas of the backgrounds, following a similar style to the one I used to create the photography sets. The graphics would be used for both online platforms like the Instagram page and website, as well as printed matter like the packaging or the informative actionable print-out I wrote. The mood board mentioned above was also used to give a plan for the social media posts, and it included working with the Content Writer. And finally, the Eco-Aware line was complete.
